Street style ... food stalls such as this one in John Street, Cabramatta are becoming increasingly popular. Photo: Kate Geraghty

The city has long enjoyed wonderful diversity when it comes to affordable food from around the world - with no passport required - and these days there's more choice than ever.

The 2012 edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Everyday Eats, released today, highlights this diversity with more than 550 independent reviews of Sydney's best cheap eats - places offering a good feed for $30 or less a person.

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This year's edition has 134 listings not previously featured in the guide and explores some 70 different cuisines. Along with the hundreds of starred reviews are sections focused on ''Early Eats'' - brekkie options, from a good cup of coffee to yum cha; ''Sweet Eats'' - Sydney's best gelati, pastries, chocolates and other sweet treats; and ''Express Eats'' - sandwiches, pies, burgers and other speedy takeaway options.

After another enormously enjoyable year of chowing down in the name of research, the Everyday Eats reviewers noticed more than a few cheap dining trends and found Sydney a truly mouth-watering place to explore, even on the most meagre shoestring budget. Grab a copy of the guide to find out more about where to get a taste of these new trends.

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WORLD FOOD FANATICS

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Sydney's love affair with Thai food continues in a big way, with a trend towards more specific regional Thai options. North-eastern Thai, favouring sour-fishy-hot flavours over sweet-creamy ones, is becoming more common, while Caysorn, a recent addition to Haymarket, has brought Sydney its first taste of food from southern Thailand. If you like it hot, this is the place for you. A dose of schadenfreude is an added bonus - sweaty, red-faced diners who have overestimated their chilli tolerance are strangely entertaining.

A similar appreciation for the regional variations of Chinese food is also becoming more apparent, with diners developing an ability to distinguish between Nanjing and Xinjiang and becoming Shanghai dumpling aficionados. We are also crazy for the tastes of South America, while Korean food is increasingly popular - it looks like our next big thing.

Despite some hugely well-liked eateries opening extra outlets, the popularity of places such as Mamak at Haymarket (also at Chatswood), Gelato Messina at Darlinghurst (now also at the Star, Pyrmont), Spice I Am at Surry Hills (also Balmain) and Din Tai Fung in the central business district (various locations) hasn't waned. Sydneysiders are also loving - and lining up for - Home Thai in the city, Holy Basil at Canley Heights, Tan Viet at Cabramatta, Shanghai Night at Ashfield and New Shanghai at Chatswood and Ashfield, where a recent expansion into the shop next door has doubled the seating capacity but hasn't quite eradicated the queue.

The Excelsior is one of many Sydney pubs to have experienced a revival. The venue may have lost live-music cred but it's won crowds with chef Dan Hong's bright and boisterous Mexican canteen, El Loco (our pick for best new cheap eat). Meanwhile, shopping-centre food courts in Sydney's city centre have gone from drab to fab, with Westfield Sydney leading the way, along with the Galeries Victoria and the Star. All three have had swanky makeovers, yet offer quick, relatively affordable dining options with high-quality food from the likes of Sassy's Red, Chat Thai and Din Tai Fung.

One Everyday Eats reviewer suggests the Abercrombie at Chippendale should have a defibrillator on hand should anyone overindulge on its menu of burgers, tacos and deep-fried delights (deep-fried Gaytime, anyone?). The Abercrombie probably takes the cake but we've also fallen for not-so-healthy indulgences at places such as the Dip in the city - serving up moreish hot dogs, chilli fries and desserts such as peanut butter ice-cream with brioche and strawberry jelly. So called ''dude food'' - sliders, tacos and so on - has become a menu essential, even appearing among Chinese dishes at the inner-city favourite, Chef's Gallery.

CAFE CULTURE

Another cafe? We'll take it! There seems no limit to our willingness to embrace new cafes, especially places that take their brew and food equally seriously. We're still loving Le Monde and Single Origin Roasters, both at Surry Hills; Revolver at Annandale; Ham and Alley Break at Cronulla; and we have fallen deeper and harder for Three Blue Ducks at Bronte since the kitchen team grew into a super-chef alumni described by Terry Durack as "Tetsuya's-by-the-sea". Newer cafe loves included Joe Black at Surry Hills, the Fern at Redfern, Copo at Drummoyne, Air at Castle Hill and Circa Espresso at Parramatta. New openings have continued since we went to press.

REMAINING FAITHFUL

Along with new discoveries, a joy of Sydney's cheap-eats scene is the stalwart restaurants that, reassuringly, never seem to change. In some cases, prices included. We love knowing we can always bring a crowd to Sultan's Table at Enmore for a bargain Turkish banquet; to Thanh Binh at Cabramatta for Vietnamese; El Jannah at Granville for charcoal chicken; Temasek at Parramatta for Malaysian; Silvas or Frango at Petersham for Portuguese chicken; Frank's at Camperdown for pizza and gelati; and Faheem Fast Food - newly inducted into the Everyday Eats hall of fame - for a Pakistani feast.

The winners are ...

EVERYDAY EATS CHAMP

Chat Thai

20 Campbell Street, Haymarket, 9211 1808

The Chat Thai chain has gone from strength to strength of late, with various venues offering fiery Thai food, soothingly sweet desserts and an atmosphere as vibrant as the food.

BEST NEW CHEAP EAT

El Loco

64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, 9211 4945

Dan Hong is on a roll. This super-colourful, cheerfully cheap Mexican eatery has brought big crowds back to The Excelsior.

EVERYDAY EATS HALL OF FAME

Faheem Fast Food

194-196 Enmore Road, Enmore, 9550 4850

Faheem is a long-time favourite for Pakistani and Indian food; the setting is basic, service swift and prices low.

BIGGEST BARGAIN

The Apprentice

TAFE Sydney Institute, Harris Street, Ultimo, 9217 5527

Fine-dining that's as cheap as chips. A training ground for TAFE hospitality students, you'll get all the frills without the big bill.

BEST BREAKFAST

Copo Cafe & Diner

135 Victoria Road, Drummoyne, 9719 9057

This relative newcomer is floating our brekkie boat with its South American-leaning dishes, plus the classics and scrumptious frappes, shakes and Campos coffee.

Everyday guide for less than the cost of a main

For full details on where to find Sydney’s cheapest dishes, see The Sydney Morning Herald Everyday Eats 2012. It’s edited by Angie Schiavone, published by Fairfax Books and costs $24.95. It is on sale at bookstores and selected newsagents. To purchase online, with free postage, see smhshop.com.au /everyday. It is also available as an e-book on iTunes for $9.99.